CBS This Morning

CBS This Morning

Popes in the U.S., then and now

After his trip to Cuba, Pope Francis will begin his visit to the U.S. Tuesday afternoon in Washington, where he will address thousands of worshipers gathered at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. This will mark the 10th time a pope has set foot on U.S. soil, and the first for Pope Francis.

Ahead of the highly-anticipated visit, CBS News correspondent Chip Reid had a look back over some highlights of previous papal visits.

In 1965 Pope Paul VI was cheered on by millions as he made a historic landing in New York and made his way through Manhattan. He also addressed the United Nations and met with President Lyndon Johnson, and the pope's enthusiastic reception was a sign of the changing times.

For many years anti-Catholic sentiment had been widespread in the U.S., fueled in part by fears that a Catholic-American president would naturally take orders from the Vatican.

That began to change when John F. Kennedy affirmed his belief in the separation of church and state in a historic campaign speech in 1960, in which he famously said, "I do not speak for the church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me."

"Anti-Catholicism in a sense died with John F. Kennedy," said Father Thomas Reese of The National Catholic Reporter. "John Kennedy became an American hero... so his assassination kind of put anti-Catholicism to rest.

More than a decade later in 1979 Pope John Paul II traveled to six cities and delivered over 50 speeches and sermons. His final stop was in Washington, where he visited the White House by invitation of President Jimmy Carter, a devout Baptist.

"The church was changing by that time," said Father Reese. "Americans in general, who were very anti-communist, saw the papacy, saw the pope, saw John Paul as an ally of the U.S. against Communism."

In a 1987 tour of America, Pope John Paul made strong speeches on human rights. In San Francisco he blessed Catholic AIDS patients and in Detroit he preached against abortion -- a message he continued to deliver in a 1993 address in Denver, then again in his final address in St. Louis in 1999 where he visited with President Bill Clinton.

In 2008 Pope Benedict XVI made a six-day tour of America, during which he highlighted the sexual abuse scandal involving Catholic priests in the United States. Then, during a visit to the White House, President George W. Bush hit a lighter note as he and the first lady celebrated Pope Benedict's 81st birthday.

But as Pope Francis makes his way to Washington, he will be making history as the first pope to address the U.S. Congress. Father Reese warned the pope could ruffle some feathers.

"This pope is concerned about the poor and the environment and he's critical of libertarian capitalism. He's not afraid of challenging people and sometimes when he challenges people they get mad," said Father Reese.

Pope Francis arrives at a time when the number of Catholics in America is at an all-time low, but supporters of Pope Francis hope his different perspective on the papacy could help change that.